UNION COUNTY — It has now been five years since a Union County football school won a sectional state championship.
No championships have been won the last four seasons, which is the longest stretch in Union County since playoff games began in New Jersey back in 1974.
As a matter of fact, the first four seasons there have been overall group champions, 2022, 2023, 2024 and 2025, not one Union County school has won a sectional state title to advance.
Perhaps this will be the year?
Perhaps the drought will end in 2026?
We shall soon see.
Two Union County schools reached sectional state championship games last year, but were soundly defeated in them. After winning two playoff games at home in dramatic fashion, Summit High School was blanked at West Morris Central High School, 35-0, in the North 2, Group 3 final. The Hilltoppers were seeking to win that section for the first time since 2018.
For the second straight season, New Providence High School made it to the North 2, Group 1 final, only to lose to Cedar Grove both times. In 2024, the Pioneers lost at Cedar Grove High School, 35-14, and in 2025, fell 37-13 at home. New Providence was seeking to win that section for the first time since 2010.
Cranford High School was the last Union County school to capture a sectional state championship, doing so in 2021, when the Cougars won North 2, Group 3 for the third time and for the first time since 2015. Cranford improved to 12-0 when it handily defeated visiting Sparta High School, 45-21, in the 2021 North 2, Group 3 sectional state championship game played for the first time at Cranford’s Memorial Field.
The previous longest Union County drought without a sectional state champion was three seasons, those years being 2003, 2004 and 2005.
Union County has had good teams the past four seasons, but they just haven’t matched well with eventual playoff opponents.
Also, when there were Regional Championship games in 2018, 2019 and 2021, before the advent of extending to group semifinals and finals beginning in 2022, Union County schools were just 1-4 in those contests.
The last time Union County had more than one sectional state champion was in 2019, when Union High School won North 2, Group 5 for the first time and Hillside High School captured South Jersey, Group 2 for the first time after winning Central Jersey, Group 2 for the first time in 2017 and then repeating in 2018.
Union has won the most sectional state championships during the playoff era among Union County schools with 11, including a still-record 10 in North 2, Group 4.
However, the Farmers have won only one title since 1993 and, in 2021, were eliminated from the North 2, Group 5 playoffs for health reasons due to COVID-19 issues.
Summit is next with nine, including five in North 2, Group 3 and four in North 2, Group 2. The Hilltoppers were last a sectional state champ in 2018.
Elizabeth High School is third with eight, including its first seven in North 2, Group 4 and the very first North 2, Group 5 crown in 2012.
New Providence has won six, David Brearley High School has won five, Westfield High School has won five, Hillside has won four, Cranford has won three, Rahway High School has won three, Roselle Park High School has won three, Arthur L. Johnson High School has won two, Linden High School has won two, Scotch Plains–Fanwood High School has won one and Abraham Clark High School in Roselle has won one.
The only schools that have not won a sectional state championship in the playoff era are Plainfield High School, 0-4 in finals; Governor Livingston High School, 0-2; and Jonathan Dayton High School, 0-1.
David Brearley last won in 2006, when the Bears captured North 2, Group 1 for the fifth time. David Brearley became Union County’s first team to finish a season 12-0 that year.
Here’s a look at Union County teams that finished 12-0:
David Brearley (12-0) in 2006 – Bears won North 2, Group 1
Summit (12-0) in 2009 – Hilltoppers won North 2, Group 2
Summit (12-0) in 2012 – Hilltoppers won North 2, Group 3
Cranford (12-0) in 2015 – Cougars won North 2, Group 3
Westfield (12-0) in 2015 – Blue Devils won North 2, Group 5
Westfield (12-0) in 2016 – Blue Devils won North 2, Group 5
Westfield (12-0) in 2017 – Blue Devils won North 2, Group 5
Hillside (12-0) in 2019 – Comets won South Jersey, Group 2 at 11-0 and then defeated Cedar Creek, 25-3, in the South, Group 2 Regional Championship Game played at Rutgers to finish 12-0.
Union improved to 12-0 when it defeated Clifton High School, 42-28, at home to win North 2, Group 5 in 2019, but was then defeated by Ridgewood High School, 41-37, in the North, Group 5 Regional Championship Game played at Met Life Stadium in East Rutherford to finish 12-1.
Photo by JR Parachini
